La Trinidad optimistic over strawberry supply

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The local government of La Trinidad, Benguet is confident that the supply of strawberries is enough when the municipality will commence the celebration of its 2024 Strawberry Festival this March.

Every year, the capital town of the province of Benguet holds festival giving tribute to its strawberry as well as vegetable farmers every month of March each year and to promote the town’s pride in producing strawberries of different varieties which are being sold in its markets, in the market of its neighboring Baguio City and other places of the country.

La Trinidad is considered as the “Strawberry Capital of the Philippines” as tourists troop here for its strawberries and strawberry products, along with strawberry picking activities where tourists experience harvesting ripe strawberries.

According to La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda, the town can produce strawberries that will be featured in the festival and assured that the farmers can produce 18 to 20 tons of strawberries in time.

He added that La Trinidad has around 20 hectares of strawberry plantations wherein the biggest is at the swamp area in Betag, La Trinidad, Benguet. He also said there are more than a thousand strawberry farmers that are busy working to be able to produce the berries.

The mayor confidently said that the strawberry farms of La Trinidad are not affected by the raging El Niño this year.